Judi Durda, Vice President and Principal at Integral Consulting Inc., has coauthored an article with John Guttmann of the law firm Beveridge & Diamond on the litigation risks of emerging contaminants. Published in the July 2017 issue of the Defense Research Institute (DRI) Toxic Tort & Environmental Law newsletter, the article describes what emerging contaminants are, why they spur regulatory and legal action, and how the uncertainty in data, coupled with differences in regulatory positions, can lead to large variations in regulatory standards across geographies. The article, titled “Beware the Litigation Risks of Emerging Contaminants,” also explores how detection of emerging chemicals in public water supplies has spawned lawsuits. Tracing the history of litigation for the chemical compound methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), the article illustrates the serious course that litigation can take.

A toxicologist and ecologist with extensive experience in the health and environmental science fields, Ms. Durda has led multiple efforts related to emerging contaminants in the environment, including litigation support, regulatory toxicology review, public comment, risk assessment, biomonitoring evaluations, ecotoxicology assessments, and natural resource damage assessment. Ms. Durda also serves as principal-in-charge of research and development of a comprehensive guide to regulatory actions involving emerging contaminants in the U.S., as well as publication of a monthly newsletter that covers the latest information on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances.